Chapter 84
“Oh, you’re married?” Julius asked, his attention snapping back to Elara.
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His expression was quite unreadable, she couldn’t tell if he was angry but it was somewhere between surprised and fully disappointed. The easy charm from moments ago had vanished completely, replaced by a stern look on his face.
Elara nodded, her voice coming out softer than she intended. “Yeah. Sorry I didn’t mention it.”
“That’s fine,” Julius said quickly, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes anymore. “See you around he said to both Her and Marcus but more towards her. I hope you enjoy your stay at this event.”
He turned and walked away before anyone could say anything else, disappearing into the crowd of other well-dressed guests.
The moment he was gone, Marcus turned to face Elara. His expression was tight, controlled anger simmering just beneath the surface.
“Really?” His voice was low but sharp. “You told him you were single?”
“Well, no,” Elara shot back, feeling defensive. “I didn’t say I was single per se. He just never asked and went ahead to assume. Besides, are we not both technically single? Let’s not forget this is still basically a contract.”
Marcus’s eyes went wide, something like hurt flashing across his face before it hardened into something colder. “Oh really? Well, that’s fine then. If you say so.”
Before Elara could respond, before she could take back the words that had clearly landed wrong, the microphone crackled to life from the small stage at the front of the room.
“Good evening, everyone!” A man’s voice boomed through the speakers, warm and commanding. “Welcome to the fifth annual Wellington Foundation Youth Arts Gala. I’m Richard Wellington, and I’m so grateful you all could join us tonight.”
The crowd turned their attention to the stage where Julius’s uncle’ stood, a distinguished-looking man in his sixties with silver hair and an expensive suit. He launched into a speech about the importance of arts education, about giving underprivileged youth access to programs that could change their lives, about the difference their donations would make.
Everyone clapped politely when he finished. Then the noise level in the room jumped immediately as conversations resumed, people introducing themselves, networking, schmoozing. The usual dance of the wealthy and connected.
Marcus and Elara were still standing together, but the tension between them was thick enough to choke on. They weren’t talking, weren’t even really looking at each other anymore. Marcus’s jaw was set in that way it got when he was angry but trying to control it, and Elara felt a knot of frustration and regret twisting in her stomach.
She was sipping her cranberry juice, trying to figure out what to say to fix this, when a feminine voice called out from behind them.
“Hey, Marc!”
Chapter 84
hometers
They both turned to see who it was.
A woman was walking toward them with the kind of confidence that came from knowing every eye in the room was on her. She was stunning in an obvious, undeniable way. Blonde hair that fell in perfect waves past her shoulders. A red dress that hugged curves that seemed almost too perfect to be real but probably were. Thick thighs, full breasts, a tiny waist. She was literally a real-life hourglass, the kind of woman who turned heads without even trying.
It was Aurora, the same woman that came to hug Marcus from behind during their last charity gala event. She remembered clearly.
Marcus’s entire body went rigid. Elara felt it, saw the way his expression shifted from angry to uncomfortable in the span of a second.
Fancy seeing you here she said.
“Well, I was invited,” Marcus said, his tone polite but distant. “What about you?”
“Same, same.” The woman smiled, still not acknowledging Elara’s presence at all. “How have you been?”
Her hand reached out, touching Marcus’s jacket, smoothing down the lapel like she had every right to touch him. The gesture was intimate, familiar, crossing a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed by someone who wasn’t involved with him.
Elara’s grip tightened on her glass.
Marcus didn’t introduce her. Didn’t explain who this woman was. Just stood there looking increasingly uncomfortable while this blonde goddess put her hands all over him.
Finally, the woman seemed to notice Elara standing there.
“Oh!” She looked over, her eyes widening in exaggerated surprise. “You! I didn’t see you there. How are you? The girlfriend, I guess?”
“Well, that was the last time you saw me,” Elara fired back, letting her irritation show. “It’s now wifey.” She held up her left hand, making sure the diamond ring caught the light. The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable.
The woman’s smile didn’t falter. “Oh, I see. Must be nice.”
There was a pause, and Elara could feel the woman studying her, taking in every detail of her dress, her hair, her face. Sizing up the competition.
“Well, you must be thinking about who I am to Marcus,” the woman continued, considering there was no proper introduction the last time we met, her voice sweet as honey.
Honestly, Elara had been thinking exactly that. The way this woman was so free with Marcus, touching him like it was nothing, was alarming. Who the hell was she?
“I’m Aurora Wellington.”
Wellington. As in Richard Wellington. As in Julius’s family.
“I’m Marcus’s ex-girlfriend,” Aurora continued, her smile never wavering. “Not like a bitter ex or anything.
14:59 Mon, May 11
Chapter 84
We broke up on amicable ground. Ancient history, really.” Don’t want to bore you.
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She stepped forward then, arms outstretched like she wanted to give Elara a friendly, harmless hug. The kind of hug women give each other at social events to show there’s no bad blood.
Elara stood there stiffly as Aurora’s arms wrapped around her, the scent of expensive perfume overwhelming.
But then Aurora leaned in close, her lips right next to Elara’s ear. Her voice dropped to a whisper so low that only Elara could hear it.
“I’m back, and I’m here to take what’s mine.”
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